The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-29

AND LIVING HAPPILY AT THE AGE
OF iO3
Incidents in the Life of Mrs. Azubah F.
Ryder, of Orrington Centre, Me-
She Comes of Long-Lived Family
and Has scores of DESCENDANTS.
From The Boston Globe


She Comes of Long-Lived Family
and Has scores of Descendants.
From, the Boston Globe.
An interesting centenarian, who has rela-
tives and friends all over New England, is
Mrs. Azubah Freeman Ryder of Orrington
Centre, Me. Mrs. Eliza p. Marshall, of North
Bucksport Me-, writes the following OF her
in the Bucksport Clipper:
Mrs. Azubah Freeman Ryder Mas born III
Eastman, Mass. Jan. 5, 1854 Her parents
Timothy Freeman, and Beruiah NlcKer-
son Freeman, arrived at Orrington Dec IL,
17sS. They came in a sailing vessel, on
which the cooking was done in fire place.
They brought with them seven daughters
and three sons, the youngest child being the
subject of this sketch.
Mr.. Freeman settled on the farm now
owned by Mr.. Whitman. He was one oil the
first board of selectmen in Orrington, and
the first representative to the General Court
of Massachusetts from Orrington. He died
Sept. IL, 1928 When Washington was
elected and assumed the duties of the first
President of the United States, Miss Azuoah
was little girl, years of age, playing IN
the sunshine and learning to read, knit and
sew When Washington died a memorial
sermon was delivered in Orrington. A grave
had been dug and Miss AZubah was one OF
the sixteen young ladies, each one 10
years of age, representing the sixteen
States of the Union, who walked around the
open grave, and scattered flowers and sang
hvInn composed by q citizen of Orrlngton
for the occasion. Miss Azubah was sue
cessful school teacher before and after her
marriage. The building i'll which she taught
the young ideas of these days how 10
shoot" was called the Pine-top schoolhouse,
and stood in pine forest on the land now
owned by Wallace T. Little and formerly
owned by John Pollard. She was married
10 Samuel Ryder of Provincetown, Mass,
in 1906 Her wedding outfit of linen,
cotton and wooden garments, bed clothes,
table linen and towels, and her wedding
dress of white linen, were all manu-
featured by herself from the raw mate
rial She manufactured the first suit
of new clothes her husband had after
their marriage. 1t was brown, dyed in the
wool and fulled at the mill He was very
proud of it,
Mrs. Ryder united with the Methodist
Episcopal church abou5 1911. The old
church which size attended was used for a
town house after tho new church was
built but was ton down some few years
ago. 1t stood ON the farm now owned by
Warren NJ. kerson. TIE foundation is still
TO be seen on TIE west side of the town
road When tbs Methodist Episcopal
church at South Orrington was organized
Mr.. and Mrs. Ryder were among the first
members
In 1914 Mr.. and Mrs. Ryder lived at her
fathers and when the United States ship-oi
war, Adams, carrying twenty guns
was deserted by her crew at Hampden, Mr..
Ryder, who belonged to the militia, was sent
to row four of her officers in tive-handed
open boat TO Boston. On the afternoon of
Sept. 3, Mrs. Ryder sat by the window sew
ing and her thl.l children playing on the
doorstep. Sh5 noticed soldiers passing by
in the distance and supposed them to be the
militia. Soon her sister Lydia called and
said they were British soldiers and that the
British feet was below, sailing up the river.
Mrs Ryder started and walked with her
children to Orrington Centre to Capt. Bar
zilla Rich's, and that night her fourth child,
Deborah, was born. The farm is now owned
by Michael Rich, son of Barzilla. Her hus
band arrived home after quite a long alb
sence from his perilous undertaking, which
he had accomplished in safety, and was wei
coined back as one returned from the dead.
They afterward owned and lived on the
farm in South Orrington, now owned by
their youngest son, aged 81 years, Capt, John
Atkins Ryder
Mr.. RYDER died in 1861 The names of
their eight children are: Samuel Ryder,
Orrirgton; Thomas Ryder, Providence, R.
J.; Mrs. Jane T. Rocks, Mrs. Deborah Fow-
Ter, Miss Caroln Ryder, Mrs. Mary Ann
Wood, Miss Azubah Ryder, Capt John At
kins Ryder of Orrington Only three of their
children are living, Samue', Thomas and
John Atkins
Mrs Azubah Freeman Ryder resides with
her eldest son, who is in his S0th year, Sam
uel Ryder, OIringtOn. We had the pleasure
of calling upon her Saturday Oct. Is, 1887,
and found her enjoying good health she is
straight as an arrow and very handsome,
sweet and neat. She puts off and on her
clothing without assistance, makes her
own bed, and likes to wash dishes and sweep
the ROOM She related story of when she
used to STAY alone with three little children,
and the bears. which were plenty in those
DAYS would come and look through the
fence close to the house She made the re-
mark to us: Il dread the cold weather,
but Providence knows what is best for
us.
Mrs. Ryder has nineteen living grand
children, tlirty-three 2reat-grandchildren
and five REORGANIZATION. She has
lived under the administration of all our
Presidents and outlived all but two of them.
She was 81 years months and 10 days Old
when Queen Victoria was born. Fulton's
first steamboat made its trial trip the same
wear, 1907 that her eldest son was born.
Stop and ponder upon the growth and in
ventions of this wonderful nation which she
has lived to see
Mrs. Ryder is a descendant of Samuel
Freeman, ESQ, who went to Massachusetts,
with Gov. Winthrop in 1850 and settled
in Watertown. He returned to England
leaving his wife and two sons, Samuel and
Henry in Massachusetts,. He died in Eng
land, and his widow afterward married
Thomas Prince, Governor of Plymouth Col
ony She is descendant of the son Samuel
Mrs. Ryder belongs to a long lived race
All her brothers and sisters lived until past
80.
arfhnra Raadarc